The Koopaling Carnival
by MsDevin92
Summary: The Koopalings, seeking to avenge their father, take control of a carnival and kidnap Princess Peach. Can the Mario Brothers escape the dangers of the park and rescue the Princess once again? Update: COMPLETED! WHOO!
1. Prologue

The Koopaling Carnival

Prologue: The Koopalings Strike Back

"Oh…" Bowser moaned. "My achin' head…"

"Poor King Dad," Wendy gushed, placing an ice pack on the lump on her father's head.

He smiled dazedly at her, slightly cross-eyed from his recent beating. "Thanks, Wendy…But could you not move around so much? You're makin' me real dizzy…"

The Koopa King had just lost another battle to Mario, and, as usual, his eight children were tending to his resulting wounds. Ludwig was rubbing salve on some nasty burns from Mario's Firebrand, and Roy was mopping up splotches of blood with a thick wad of gauze. Lemmy and Larry checked for broken bones, while Bowser Jr. and Morton spread plaster and bandages over cracks in Bowser's shell. He was a total mess.

"Mario must've hit him real hard this time," Iggy commented, wrapping up one of his father's cracked horns.

At the sound of his enemy's name, Bowser jumped to his feet, sending the Koopalings flying. "Mario?!" he roared, smoke trickling angrily from his jaws. "Where is he? Lemme at him!"

As suddenly as he had gotten up, he fell back again, shaking the throne room slightly. "Ow…That _smarts_."

"We could say the same thing," Morton groaned, rubbing his head.

Bowser's eyelids were starting to lower. "When I get my hands on that plumber," he growled, "I'll…I'll…"

A snore emerged from his muzzle.

"I don' believe it," Roy mumbled in disbelief. "He's out like a light!"

"At least we don't have to worry about him jumping around like that again," Lemmy pointed out, crawling back onto his rubber ball. "It's always easier taking care of King Dad when we don't have to worry about being thrown all over the place."

The others nodded and muttered agreement.

After Bowser had been patched up, they called on a few of the soldiers who weren't in the infirmary and had the King taken to his room. As night fell, they trudged up to their tower.

"I _hate_ Mario," Wendy whined.

"Don't ve all?" Ludwig sighed.

Morton flicked off the light, and the Koopalings all crawled into their beds.

"When _I_ see 'dat plumber again," Roy snarled, "I'm gunna snap 'im in two!"

They were beginning to drift off to sleep. Iggy yawned. Lemmy buried his face in his pillow.

"I feel bad for King Dad," Larry said sympathetically. "I wish we could do something to help him get Mario…"

A laugh suddenly echoed off the bedroom walls. They all jumped, alarmed, and turned to Bowser Jr., who was sitting up in bed with a smirk on his face.

"_Maybe_," he growled wickedly, "we _can_."

They all grinned.


	2. Chapter 1

The Koopaling Carnival

Chapter One: Quiet Before the Storm

"Here's something for Mario. I hope he likes it."

Luigi smiled and took the basket. "Thanks, Princess Peach. I know Mario loves your cakes."

Peach fidgeted worriedly. "He's okay, right? I really feel bad that he keeps getting hurt all because of me."

"Oh, he'll be fine," he assured her. "He always is. You wanna go see him?"

Her eyes sparkled. "Yes!"

Luigi chuckled slightly and opened the door to his brother's bedroom. Peach stepped inside and leaned over Mario's still form. "I hope he gets better soon…"

He appeared to be sleeping, but as a lock of the Princess's golden hair tickled the tip of his nose, Mario opened his eyes. "Peach?"

"Hello, Mario," she said softly.

Recognizing the tender looks in both their eyes, Luigi slid quietly into the parlor, closing the door behind him.

* * *

"How's it going, Kate?" a voice squawked over the walkie-talkie.

"Pretty good, Art," the Toadstool girl replied, nodding. "Ferris wheel maintenance is progressing splendidly. In fact, I should have it fixed so that we can reopen the ride tomorrow!"

"That's great! Lucky for us you're such a techno whiz!"

"Aw, shucks." Kate T. Bay blushed slightly, thankful that Art couldn't see her. "It's nothin' much…"

"Keep it up," he encouraged. "I'm gonna check with Chris on things over by the water park."

"Roger that."

She knelt on the roof of the Ferris cart, smiling. How she loved this carnival. Long ago, Kate T.'s grandfather had built the Bay Boardwalk Carnival, and it had been one of the most popular attractions in this part of the Mushroom Kingdom ever since. The carnival originally consisted of a large, spacious dock with a Ferris wheel, a merry-go-round, a fun house, various games, a restaurant, and a swing ride. Over the years, a water park and a haunted house had been added on, and a roller coaster was being constructed. It overlooked a breathtaking stretch of the ocean, and at night, fireworks would light up the sky.

Kate's parents, Pete and Dot, were the park managers. Her older sister, Chris, worked at the water park, and Kate, who had always been very good with machines, was a mechanic. Kate was proud to be in the family business. The Boardwalk was her life. She loved everything about the carnival: the rides, the food, the beach, and the people.

The sun was shining brightly that day, and it was very warm. Kate started to remove her jacket, but the minute she had undone the last button, a sudden breeze whisked it out of her hands.

"Oh!" she cried. The wind carried the jacket to the next cart over and dropped it on the roof. The young girl leapt down to retrieve it.

However, the second her hand closed on the collar, a foot stamped down on the fabric, pinning it there.

"Hello 'dere," said a rough voice just over her head. "You look kinda' tired…"

Trembling slightly, Kate raised her head.

"Why don't ya' take a lil' nap?"

Something caught her- hard- in the stomach, and then she knew no more.


	3. Chapter 2

The Koopaling Carnival

Chapter Two: Falling Into Place

Peach frowned. "What do you _mean_, Mario isn't here yet?"

"I'm sorry, Princess Peach," said her advisor, Toadsworth, standing on his tiptoes to pat her reassuringly on the shoulder. "Master Mario is still attending the carnival, but he said something about a few wild Chain-Chomps loose in his neighborhood. He'll come as soon as he cleans things up, though. He said he'll meet us at the park."

"Okay." The Princess fastened her hair back in a ponytail and picked up her bag. "Well, then, shall we go?"

"After you, Princess."

Although Peach was slightly disappointed and worried about Mario, she couldn't help feeling happy. She and the plumber were going to spend the day at the Bay Boardwalk Carnival.

"I can't wait," she giggled, spreading her arms to the sunny skies. "It's going to be a wonderful day!"

* * *

"_Help_!"

"Tommy!"

The Toadstool woman threw herself over her son, and they both recoiled from the advancing Chain-Chomp. It stared stupidly at them for a moment, panting slightly, and then lunged forward, gnashing its sharp teeth.

They both screamed.

However, seconds before the monster's jaws could close on mother and son, two pairs of white-gloved hands closed around the tattered band of leather wrapped around the creature's middle.

"Ready, Weegie?"

"Ready, bro!"

The two figures spun around as fast as they could, swinging the Chain-Chomp in a circle.

"And away you go!" they both cried, releasing the beast. The monster flew threw the air, bowling over trees and yowling madly, until it smashed into a rock. Whimpering pitifully, it hopped into the dark woods from which it had come.

"Whew." Mario dusted his hands off. "A pack of Chain-Chomps. What's-a next, Luigi?"

"I dunno, but I hope it's got considerably smaller teeth," Luigi muttered, frowning at his torn and bloody arm.

"Yikes! That-a looks bad. Let me get you some bandages…As long as-a the hospital isn't destroyed, that is."

"Aw, you don't have to do that, bro. You should head on over to the carnival. You deserve a day off with Peach."

"Nonsense. What kind of brother would I be if I let my little bro go around-a with a bloody arm?"

Luigi smiled. "That's my bro."

But as Mario salvaged some bandages from the wreckage and began fixing up his little brother's arm, Luigi frowned slightly, puzzled.

Why had _wild_ Chain-Chomps been wearing broken leashes?

* * *

"The Chain-Chomps just came back, Your Majesties. Boy, did he do a number on them…Luigi must've helped. Not even Mario can handle five rabid Chain-Chomps on his own…"

"Then he _definitely _won't be able to handle all of us!" Lemmy snickered, but Wendy shushed him.

"And is he on his vay to ze carnival?" Ludwig asked.

"No. He stayed behind. Luigi got a nasty bite on his arm, and parts of the neighborhood were completely demolished in the attack…Peach will be at the carnival _way_ before he gets there."

The Koopalings exchanged smiles.

"_Perfect_!" Morton cried, punching enthusiastically at the air.

"Give us a second, Aunt Kammy," Wendy said to the crystal ball. She turned to a pair of Koopa Troopas that had just entered the room. "Did you take care of the employees?"

"Yes, Princess Wendy."

"Are you sure they won't blab anything to the Princess or the other guests?"

"Certainly. We made it quite clear to them that if they care for their health and the health of their patrons, they'll behave." The Troopas chuckled darkly.

"Why are you trying to bully the employees into keeping quiet?" Kammy asked, puzzled.

There was a thud and a furious, "Ouch!" It sounded like someone had pushed Kammy aside.

"Kammy, you rotten old hag! Just because you broke your crystal ball doesn't mean you can go hijacking mine!"

"Oh, put a sock in it, Kamek! I'm _trying_ to help the children, unlike _you_!"

"I _would've_ been helping them if you hadn't filched my crystal ball! And honestly, you're so brainless. The Toads would surely suspect something if the Koopalings just replaced all the employees with Koopas!"

"I'll show you brainless once I blast open your head!"

"Aunt Kammy! Uncle Kamek!" Iggy cried. He knew that they wouldn't get anything done if the two Magikoopas got into another fight. "The Toads are following our every command, okay? No need to worry!"

The sounds of bickering and spells being charged quieted down.

"But the managers and the higher-ranking workers are sure to cause some trouble," Kamek considered. "They would certainly pose a problem."

"No need to worry about that, either." The Troopas stepped aside and saluted as Roy and Bowser Jr. appeared.

"We took care a' 'dem," Roy said smugly, cracking his knuckles.

Jr. nodded. "The two managers, the chief of staff, and the managers' daughters were the biggest problems, but they're all locked up. We had the workers rope the attractions off so no one will go poking around."

"Great!" Larry turned to the crystal ball. "Uncle Kamek, have a few Paratroopas wait close to the carnival, okay? The Princess is on her way."

There was a little sniffle. "Kidnapping the Princess, luring Mario into a trap…" Kammy gasped happily. "Oh, you're all growing evil so _fast_!"

The Koopalings laughed.


	4. Chapter 3

The Koopaling Carnival

Chapter Three: A Wonderful Day Turned Disaster

"Welcome to the Bay Boardwalk Carnival!" said the clerk cheerfully. "How many tickets?"

"Two, please," Peach chirped.

At the sight of the Princess, the Toad faltered. Toadsworth frowned.

In the shadows of the booth, a clawed hand gripped the back of his neck firmly.

"You were saying?" a voice hissed in his ear.

"T-that'll be six coins, Your Highness…"

Peach paid the coins and gave the Toad a concerned look. "Are you okay?"

"Oh, I'm f-fine, Princess! It's, uh, just been a little hot lately…Probably a little too much sun, you know, that sort of thing…"

"Okay…Well, I hope you feel better…" Toadsworth tugged urgently on her bag, and she followed him into the park.

Once they were a safe distance away from the ticket booth, Peach knelt down to her advisor. "What is it, Toadsworth?"

"Something's fishy," he murmured. "The clerk sounded…scared. Just keep your eyes open, Princess."

"Of course, Toadsworth. Whatever you say."

* * *

"Mario's just about finished…He'll be leaving soon." 

"Good. And is everything prepared for Peach's day at the carnival?"

"Oh, certainly. Lemmy, Iggy, and I made zome rather…nasty changes to ze attractions. Ze Princess is in for ze ride of her life!"

* * *

"Ooh, the Ferris wheel! My favorite ride!" Peach squealed. 

Toadsworth nodded. "I remember it from when I was younger…I used to be good friends with the son of the park's founder, Pete T. Bay. I wonder where he is? Usually he walks around the park, making sure his guests are enjoying themselves…" Toadsworth paused. Was his old friend's absence another sign of possible danger?

The sight of Peach getting in line brought him back down to Earth, and he scurried after her.

Luckily for the excited Princess, the line was short. Soon, a cart was sitting before her.

"Welcome to the Boardwalk Ferris-" The Toad did a double-take and started in surprise. "Ah, Your Majesty!"

"Hello, Jonas." Peach recognized the Toad and waved at him.

"The Ferris wheel has always been your favorite ride," he remarked, his voice shaking a bit. "C-can I see your ticket, please?"

Peach furrowed her brow. Jonas sounded scared, too…

"Jonas," she whispered. "Is anything wrong?"

His eyes darted quickly towards the fun house, but then he turned back to her and shook his head. "No, Your Grace…So, your ticket?"

She hesitantly handed him the slip of yellow paper. He nodded and opened the door. "…Enjoy your r-ride, Princess."

She set foot in the cart. Toadsworth followed.

Jonas's eyes shone fearfully, and he dove at them, screaming, "WAIT! DON'T GO!"

It was too late. An orange blur landed between the three of them, kicking Jonas to the side and shoving Peach inside the cart. The door locked the minute she was inside, and the colorfully-painted walls fell away, revealing a cage.

"_Toadsworth_!" Peach shrieked.

"Princess!" Toadsworth started forward, but a large fist stopped him.

"Goin' somewhere, Gramps?" Roy sneered.

A group of Paratroopas appeared. Tying thick ropes around the bars on Peach's cage, they lifted it into the air and began to fly away.

"_Somebody, help_!"

The guests were panicking. Screaming, they ran for the gates and fled the park. Toadsworth joined the crowd, desperate to get out. He had to find help!

"Oh, no, you don't!" Wendy cried, jumping out from behind a nearby game booth. The two Koopalings chased after the Princess's advisor.

For an old Toad, Toadsworth was still pretty fast. He wove through the crowd, keeping just out of reach.

"Get ova' here, you!" Roy tackled him, sending poor Toadsworth sprawling. With a cough, he struggled to his feet. Thankfully, the attack had knocked him forward- closer to the gate! Seconds before it could slam shut, he was out.

"_Toadsworth_!"

"Princess!" he shouted, ignoring the venomous glares of the Koopalings, trapped on the other side of the iron bars.

"Toadsworth, get help! _Get help_!" And then she was gone.

Toadsworth nodded and ran off as fast as he could.

"This isn't over!" Wendy called after him. Then she winked slyly at Roy. "Is he gone?"

"Yep," he replied, beaming.

"Perfect." The two siblings exchanged high-fives. "It won't be long until Mario comes running, and then we'll have him right where we want him!"


	5. Chapter 4

The Koopaling Carnival

Chapter Four: Ambushed

Humming happily to himself, Mario strolled over the hills. He couldn't wait to get to the carnival. Finally, a day with Peach! No Goombas, no Koopas, no Bowser…Just-

"Toadsworth?"

The Princess's advisor came limping towards him. Upon sighting the plumber, he hoarsely called out, "Mario!"  
"Toadsworth, what's wrong?" A sudden feeling of dread twisted in Mario's stomach. "Where's-a Peach?"

"The P-Princess…she…"

He didn't get to finish. As Roy's attack and the long run took their toll, Toadsworth fell to his knees and passed out.

* * *

Mario and Luigi exchanged worried frowns.

"How's-a Toadsworth?" Mario asked the nurse.

"Good." She took a deep breath. "But from what I could gather before he passed out again, Peach isn't. The Koopalings placed a trap at the carnival, and the Princess has been captured…again."

"Oh, no!" Immediately, Mario charged towards the door. But Luigi put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. "Luigi, let go!"

"No _way_! You're not going by yourself, are you?"

"I have-a to save Peach!"

"I know that, but do you seriously think you can take on the Koopalings by yourself?"

Mario paused. "Er…"

"And that's why-"

"I'm-a not staying, Luigi!"

"I'm going with you."

"What?" Mario blinked, then wildly shook his head. "Uh-uh. _No_ way. Too dangerous!"

Luigi rapped his knuckles on the side of Mario's head. "Earth to Mario! _That's_ why I'm going with you!"

"But-a your arm!"

"You'll be in much worse shape if you go in there alone," Luigi countered, folding his arms sternly. Then his expression softened. "We're a team, bro- whether you like it or not."

Mario smiled. "Aw, Weegie…"

"Let's go, then!"

Giving the Toads a thumbs-up, the brothers rushed out the door, ready to fight for the Princess.

* * *

"Peach…Princess Peach…"

"Calm down, Toadsworth," cooed the nurse. "You're getting yourself all worked up. You need to rest."

The advisor whimpered and thrashed more violently. "The…Princess…she…"

"It's okay, Toadsworth!" another villager called out, hoping to soothe the worried old man. "Mario and Luigi went to save her!"

"They _what_?!"

Toadsworth flung himself towards the side of the bed, toppling over. He knelt on the floor, holding his side, and then tried to pull himself to the door. The villagers grabbed his arms and placed him back on the bed.

"Are you _crazy_?"

"Toadsworth, this won't help you heal at all!"

"Peach will be okay! The Super Mario Bros are gonna close that evil carnival down and rescue her!"

"That's just it!" Toadsworth panted. "Peach, she…She isn't _at_ the carnival. The Koopalings had her brought to Bowser's Castle. Mario and Luigi are walking right into a trap!"

* * *

"Whoa," Mario whispered.

"You can say that again, bro," Luigi agreed, also stupefied.

The Koopalings had given the Boardwalk a complete makeover. The pale blue and yellow paint had been replaced by olive green, gray, and red. The smiling faces on the game booths had become grinning, demon-like faces. The rides were decorated with sharp spikes and skulls, and the sign over the gate had been replaced. Once a simple wooden board with BAY BOARDWALK CARNIVAL written on it in white, it was now a giant orange neon sign that read KOOPALING CARVIAL.

"Those kids have sure-a been busy," Mario remarked. He tugged at the gate and rolled his eyes. "Well, for once a bad guy has enough sense-a to lock the front door. Unfortunately, it's right when we need it the least!"

He charged up his Firebrand and tried to melt the bars, but nothing happened. "Drat. They must've rigged the bars to withstand-a my Firebrand."

Luigi leaned closer to the gate and placed a hand against it experimentally. "Maybe we could-"

Just then, the gate swung open, and Luigi fell flat on his face.

"Of course," he muttered into the dirt. "It's _always_ me, isn't it?"

Mario pulled him to his feet. "As-a long as the gate's open, we might as well-a go inside."

* * *

"They're inside!" Jr. sang, grinning from ear-to-ear.

"_They_?" Morton repeated, confused. "Mario brought his brother along with him?" He was silent for about half a second, and then laughed. "More fun for us, then! It'll make things much easier for King Dad if we get rid of _both_ Mario Bros. at once!"

"Yeah, but won't they be more of a threat if they're working together?" Larry pointed out nervously.

"Nonsense!" Wendy waved a hand dismissively. "Look, see? The Chomps tore up Luigi's arm! He'll be even more of a pushover than usual, all chewed up like that."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" Bowser Jr. cried, opening the door. "Let's go give our guests a warm welcome…Koopaling Carnival style!"

* * *

"Peach!"

"Princess!"

"Princess Peach!"

"Princess Peach, where are-a you?!"

The brothers wandered through the park, calling out for the princess, but no luck. The park was bleak and lifeless. Dark clouds were starting to overtake the sky, giving the sinisterly-decorated boardwalk an even creepier look.

After some more futile calling, Mario sighed. "It's…not working."

Luigi frowned. "I have a really bad feeling about this place, bro."

Mario shuddered. "You, too?"

"Yeah. I mean, look." He spread his arms out and gazed around the empty boardwalk. "It's…totally empty and just plain spooky. And I'm starting to get the feeling that Peach isn't here at all."

"So-a am I." Mario put a hand on his brother's shoulder. "Let's-"

Just then, something heavy slammed into the back of his head, and fell to his knees. The last thing he heard before falling into darkness was a vicious little laugh.


	6. Chapter 5

The Koopaling Carnival

Chapter Five: Into the Claws of the Koopalings

"Wakey, wakey, Stupid Mario Bros!"

With a moan, Mario opened his eyes and found himself staring at the face of Bowser Jr. The youngest Koopaling prince grinned at him. "Rise and shine!" he chirped, making a face.

Mario blinked, startled, then tried to get a hold of his hammer. But he couldn't move his arms. He was chained to a pole.

"No, no, no," Wendy cooed nastily, wagging a finger at him. "You and your brother aren't going anywhere!"

"What happened?" said a drowsy voice from beside him. Luigi had come to. "Yikes! I can't move a muscle!"

"That's the _point_!" Lemmy said, prodding him harshly in the shoulder. "Man, you two sure fell for it!"

"Where's-a Peach?!" Mario demanded, looking around. He and Luigi were in a room decorated with flashing, multicolored lights, but Peach was nowhere in sight.

"Sorry, but the princess is in another castle," Morton snickered. "King Dad's castle, to be precise! But as long as you're at the Koopaling Carnival, you might as well enjoy yourselves, right?"

They all exchanged devious looks and yelled, "_Wrong_!"

Jr. turned to his siblings. "Ready, guys?"

"Ready!" they chorused.

"What are you gonna do?" Luigi asked nervously.

They didn't answer right away, but just giggled wickedly. Lemmy turned to a counter alongside the wall. A row of balloons with clown faces sat there. Picking up a plastic water gun, the Koopaling fired a burst of water at one of the balloon. It filled and filled before finally bursting with a sickening pop.

The brothers began to get a _very_ bad feeling.

"We're gonna play a little game," Jr. sang.

"Yeah!" they cheered.

The turtle-like children split into two groups of four. Each group picked up a large fire house.

"First team to burst a Bro wins!" Jr. declared, aiming the nozzle at Mario's mouth.

"_What_?!" both brothers shrieked.

"One…" Iggy called.

"Two…" Roy added.

"Three…" Morton cried.

"_GO_!" Ludwig bellowed.

The brothers screamed.

Bad idea.

A jet of water hit Mario and Luigi squarely in their faces, the sheer power keeping their mouths wide open. They tried to turn their heads away, but no luck.

They couldn't breathe, and started to choke as water was forced into their lungs.

"We're gonna drown!" Luigi spluttered.

The Koopalings were screaming with laughter.

Mario's head was spinning from lack of air. How were they going to get out of this one? The chains were made of the same fireproof substance as the gate had been, and even if he _did_ try to use his Firebrand, it would be useless- he was soaked by the spray.

Wait…Maybe his Firebrand _could_ be of use after all!

Mario screwed his eyes shut and charged up a ball of flame. The minute it met the damp chains, the horrid stench of smoldering metal filled the room. The Koopalings began to cough and choke, and then they cried out, dropping the hoses and rubbing their eyes, which had gotten smoke in them.

He didn't stop there, though. He kept working the flame up, and soon thick plumes of dark gray smoke clouded the room. He could hear the Koopalings flailing blindly in the smoggy darkness.

Someone stumbled near him. He stuck out a foot.

Roy shouted in alarm, and, having lost his balance, waved his arms wildly, trying to steady himself. He ended up crashing right into Mario, and the weight of the beefiest Koopaling snapped the pole cleanly off the floor.

Mario jumped to his feet and sidled over to Luigi.

"Luigi," he breathed.

"Mario?"

"Listen, I'm-a gonna try and get us out of here." The Koopalings were starting to get their sense of direction back. He hurried his warning. "They'll probably hear me snap the pole, so get-a ready to run _the second you're on you're feet_, okay?"

"Okay…Go!"

Mario threw himself at the pole. Sure enough, the second it broke, he heard Wendy screech, "They got loose!"

"Find 'em!" Bowser Jr. roared.

The Firebrand was beginning to dim as Mario lost his energy. "Run!" he hissed, and they bolted.


	7. Chapter 6

The Koopaling Carnival

Chapter Six: Luigi's Wild Ride

"Which way do we go?" Luigi cried.

They could hear the Koopalings right behind them. Mario bit his lip. Unfortunately, his smokescreen had been more effective than he'd hoped; it hadn't cleared yet, and the brothers couldn't see which way they were going, either!

"Uh…" Mario dove to the side. "Just-a run! And try-a to get out of these stupid chains! We'll meet up later!"

"Right!" Luigi agreed, heading in the opposite direction.

* * *

"Rats, they split up," Iggy muttered, stamping his foot. They'd lost the Mario Bros.

"Vell, ve have to get zem zomehow, or ze'll get avay!" Ludwig puzzled for a moment. "But ze problem is, ve don't know _vhich_ vay zey vent!"

"Relax, guys!" Morton chuckled. "In case you've forgotten, they're still all chained up! They won't get too far. But just in case…" He flipped open a panel in the wall and pressed a button. "_This_ will stop them right in their tracks!"

* * *

"Ah! The exit!" Luigi beamed upon sighting a way out of the crazy park. "Freedom!"

He rushed towards the open gateway…and was thrown right back. "_HUH_?!"

He struggled upright and placed his foot against what appeared to be empty air. However, the was a faint flicker of acid-green light, and a powerful force held him back.

A force field was covering the park! He groaned. They'd never be able to get out now…not unless they found a way to bring it down.

"_There he is_!"

Luigi gasped and started running again, with Wendy and Ludwig right on his heels.

They were in the water park now. Large plastic slides criss-crossed here, there, and everywhere. With lots of tunnels, ladders, and pools, it would be easy for him to lose his pursuers…right?

Wrong.

Wendy and Ludwig came dangerously close to catching up to him as he sprinted all over the place. Once they'd gone through an entire level of the water park, Luigi decided to try going up. He jogged up a series of ladders and stairs, and, once it looked like he was alone again, stopped to catch his breath.

"Safe!" he panted, relieved.

"Not really," said a voice from right behind him.

He whirled around. Wendy and Ludwig had caught up, and now Larry and Iggy had appeared, too!

"Going somewhere?" Larry taunted.

"We don't think so!" Wendy and Iggy chorused. "Unless you'd like to take a little dip?"

Luigi chanced a glance over his shoulder. He was cornered at the highest water slide!

"I vouldn't recommend it, you know," Ludwig sneered. "I can assure you, ze rides aren't as much fun now as zey are deadly."

Luigi inched closer to the slide. Between the Koopalings and a drop down a deadly water slide, he'd choose the slide.

A bead of sweat popped up on Ludwig's forehead. "Really, you shouldn't try zat, or- or else!"

Luigi smirked, feeling slightly more confident. It was obvious now that the Koopalings didn't _really_ have him trapped. The slide was his only way out, and he was ready to take it.

With a deep breath, he jumped into the tunnel.

* * *

"Darn!" Wendy fumed, dangerously close to throwing a tantrum. "We lost him!"

"What if he finds-" Larry stopped mid-sentence. "Wait a minute…"

They all looked at each other, then gasped in unison. "That's it!"

Ludwig laughed and pressed a button by the slide. "Let's go give Luigi some company…"

* * *

Luigi yelled as he plummeted through the wet darkness.

Had it been a trick? Had the Koopalings been bluffing so that he would take the slide to his doom?

The slide was the biggest and easily the craziest. He spun around loops, went through waterfalls…Once, he could've sworn he went upside-down, like in a roller coaster!

He could hear someone clamoring behind him. The Koopalings had followed him!

Luigi felt the slide level out and calmed down a bit. He was almost at the end! He could see the light!

And then a hole opened up in the bottom of the slide, and he fell through.


	8. Chapter 7

The Koopaling Carnival

Chapter Seven: Chris T.

"_YIKES_!"

Luigi hit the floor hard enough to shatter the wooden pole. With the support gone, the chains were loose enough for him to wriggle free, and he finally managed to get to his feet, plucking splinters out of his skin.

"Where am I?"

He was in a small room made of concrete. It was dimly lit and smelled strongly of chlorine. It was scarcely furnished, and most of the furniture had been either flipped over or broken.

"Hello?" he called hesitantly.

"Hello?"

He jumped at the sound of the voice. It sounded distinctly female…Was someone else in here?

He fumbled through the poorly-lit cavern until his hands met cold steel. "Who is that?"

"Who is that?"

Luigi frowned. "Okay, is that an echo or not, cause I'm not in the mood."

"No, no, I'm not an echo," the voice cried frantically. "Please, don't leave me here!"

Luigi's eyes took a second to adjust to the darkness, but once they did, he could see that his hands had found a small cage. And inside, tied to a chair, was a young Toad woman, with green-blue eyes and a sandy brown ponytail.

"Please, help me," she begged.

Luigi nodded and struck the cage door with his hammer. It swung open. He knelt down beside the Toad and started to untie the ropes. "Who are you?"

"I'm Chris T. Bay."

"You mean from the family that owns this place?"

"Yeah, the one and the same. I work as a lifeguard here in the water park, but then those Koopas showed up and started causing trouble. I tried to stop them, but they caught me..."

"What is this place, anyway?"

The last rope fell away, and Chris T. jumped to her feet, surveying the room in interest. Then she spotted a rack of life vests and snapped her fingers.

"One of the equipment rooms," she realized. "Now I remember. They installed a tunnel down here and kicked me through, probably to keep me out of the way for whatever they were planning." She frowned and bit her lip. "I just hope they're all okay…"

"Who? The Koopalings?"

"No way! It's just that…they said they were going after my sister and parents, too. I'm worried about them."

Luigi opened his mouth to console her, but then there were four thuds.

"Oh, _Luigi_!"

"Where _are_ you?"

"Come out, come out, vherever you are!"

"Come out and _play_!"

He gasped and, grabbing Chris's arm, ducked behind an overturned table. "The Koopalings!"

"All _eight_ of them?" she asked, panicking.

"No, only four." The look on her face hardly changed. "We need a way to sneak out of here, before-"

"We find you?!"

Something heavy hit Luigi in the back; Larry had jumped on his shoulders. Leaning over so that he was face-to-face with the green-clad plumber, the Koopaling grinned and sank his claws into Luigi's arms, pinning them to his sides.

"Let _go_!" Luigi tried to throw him off, but then Ludwig tackled his legs from behind, and he pitched forward. Before he could fight back, Wendy and Iggy ran over. Combined, all four Koopalings easily held him down.

"Hey, Koopa-brats!"

"What the- _OW_!" Iggy jumped as a life ring hit him in the eye. "Who threw that?"

Chris jumped up on the chair she'd been tied to, making sure the Koopalings could see her. "Nyeh! Come and get me!"

Wendy and Larry, leaving Luigi behind, lunged at the Toad, but she just jumped away. They collided with the chair and each other before ending up in a tangled heap on the floor.

"Luigi!" she called, while they were still dazed. "Throw the other Koopalings over here!"

With only half the weight restraining him, Luigi struggled away and grabbed Iggy's wrist. Spinning around in a quick circle, as he had done with the Chain-Chomp, he tossed the Koopaling in the cage with his sister and brother.

Ludwig glared at them, then drew into his shell and charged. He knew Luigi couldn't risk jumping on the spiked carapace.

What he _didn't_ know was that Luigi always kept his trusty hammer close by. He stepped to the side, and, with a cry of "Fore!", smashed the hammer into Ludwig's shell. He, too, landed in the cage, bowling over the other three, who had just started to get back on their feet. Then he shut the door and held it there while Chris clamped the lock shut, trapping the Koopalings inside.

"Nyeh!" she taunted again. "Wow, thanks, Luigi!"

"Sure." He looked up and gasped as the hole in the ceiling slid shut. "But now how do we get out?"

Chris went over to the wall. "Let's see, hopefully the door's still open…There!"

With a creak, the door swung aside, and the two of them stepped out into the park.

"What's your next move, Luigi?" the Toad asked.

Just then, Luigi heard a loud crash coming from the haunted house, and remembered his brother. How was he faring? As another crash echoed throughout the park, he grimly assumed: not well. Not well at all.

"I have to go find Mario!" he gasped, and ran towards the haunted house with Chris close behind.


	9. Chapter 8

The Koopaling Carnival

Chapter Eight: Down We Go

Luigi was right. Things at the haunted house were getting nasty.

Mario _had_ managed to get free of his chains, and he _had_ eluded the Koopalings- for a while- but that didn't mean he was safe. Not by a long shot. The haunted house was comprised of various mazes, hallways with collapsing staircases, and other wicked little traps. Although some traps hadn't been put in by the Koopalings, they weren't helping him escape much.

As he walked down the hall, part of the floor sank under his foot, and parts of the walls on either side of him fell away.

Mario jumped, expecting danger, like the spiky barrel that had rolled out of the last secret opening.

But then a giant (and obviously fake) cardboard Boo appeared to his right, and he smiled.

"Oh, thank goodness. It's only- _YEOWCH_!"

A pair of obviously _real_ fangs sank into his shoulder. He whirled around, just in time to see a cackling Boo swoop back into the compartment, which closed up behind it.

His shout and the Boo's laughter echoed loudly in the dank halls. There was no doubt the Koopalings would show up soon. He needed a place to hide!

* * *

"Darnit, where'd he go?"

"That cowardly plumber probably flew the coop. Why don't we check outside?"

"No, stupid! We saw him come in; we would've seen if he'd come out!

"He must be in here somewhere…"

Hiding behind the cardboard Boo, Mario could hear the Koopalings walk by. Once he was sure they were gone, he went to leave.

Or, he _would've_ left if he could. When he hastily dove behind the specter figurine, he'd neglected to think about how he'd get out again. The wall panel had slid shut once he was inside, and now he was stuck.

Mario shuffled around, his hands feeling against the wall. Surely the maintenance staff had installed some kind of emergency switch for situations like this?

There!

The walls swung open again, and Mario started to sneak out into the hall. Unfortunately, a rotten floorboard suddenly broke under his weight, and he stumbled, crashing into the giant Boo and knocking it over.

The sound of the crash was loud enough to bring the Koopalings rushing back (it was also the noise which had alerted Luigi to the haunted house).

Jr., Morton, Roy, and Lemmy appeared. "There he is!"

They chased him through the haunted house until they came to a dead end. Mario looked around frantically, and then spotted two possible ways out: a doorway, and what appeared to be an elevator.

He pressed the button. There was a flash of red light and a buzz, but nothing else happened. Locked!

He looked at the doorway. A signpost had been placed in front of it.

THIS IS A WARNING FOR ALL GUESTS:

THESE STAIRS ARE IN DISREPAIR AND ARE UNSAFE.

PLEASE USE ELEVATOR UNTIL MAINTENANCE CAN MEND THEM.

THANK YOU,

PARK STAFF

Mario peeked over the sign. Boy, did those stairs look risky…They were old, cracked, and moldy. Some had completely fallen away.

"He went that way!"

"Boy, we got him now!"

Taking a deep breath, Mario jumped over the sign and leapt down the stairs.


	10. Chapter 9

The Koopaling Carnival

Chapter Nine: Going Down

"Ow! Ouch! Yow!"

The sound of the old stairs cracking and splintering was the second crash Luigi had heard.

Although his descent was painful, Mario smiled up at the stairway once he had landed. His treading on them had wrecked the stairs even further; it would be practically impossible for the Koopalings to follow him down.

Suddenly, a voice drifted out of the darkness. He nearly jumped out of his skin, and then realized, with a wave of relief, that they weren't the voices of the Koopalings.

"Oh, no, they're back…"

"Give back my babies! You promised they'd be safe! I-If you've hurt one hair on their precious little heads, I won't rest until I've cracked your shells open and turned you all into Koopa-skin boots!"

"Missus Dot, please calm down! You can't help them if you're ripped to shreds!"

"Let-"

"Hello?" Mario called.

The voices ceased immediately. Mario walked forwards and found three Toads bound by the cellar wall.

One was a man, with dark blonde hair and bright, blue-green eyes. The second Toad was a woman with brown hair pulled into a bun and freckles scattered across her cheeks. The third looked a few years younger than his companions, and had black hair and green eyes.

There was a moment's silence as they stared at each other.

"That's not a Koopa," the black-haired one said at last. "It's-"

"It's _Mario_!" the woman cried. "Oh, thank goodness you've come! Quick, you have to untie me! My little girls are in danger! Please, help!"

"Uh, excuse my wife," the blonde Toad apologized as Mario untied them. "She's just worried about my daughters…We all are."

"Who-a are you?" Mario asked.

"I'm Pete T. Bay," the man introduced. He nodded at the distraught woman. "This is my wife, Dot. We're the park managers. And the young lad over there is Art, our chief of staff."

"Oh! The Koopalings must've captured you, am-a I right?"

"Blast them six ways from Sunday!" the woman wailed. "Those little monsters!"

"Shush, Dot," the man soothed her, and she subsided a bit, turning faintly pink. "Yes, the Koopalings caught us," he explained to Mario. "Well, rather, they threatened us…"

"What do-a you mean?"

"They have my two daughters, Chris and Kate. I don't know the specifics of whatever godforsaken hullabaloo they're up to, but I do know that the girls are in danger somewhere. I was caught between a rock and a hard place, if you will: I couldn't risk my daughter's health, and I certainly couldn't hold off those Koopalings."

"But it's probably no use," Art added morosely. "They definitely aren't the type to keep a promise…I bet Chris and Kate are long-gone by now…"

"Guess again, guys!"

* * *

Mario's ears perked at the signature _sproing_ of his little brother's jump. "Luigi!"

Luigi and another Toad waved to them from the top of the stairs.

"Chris!" Dot sobbed. "Oh, you're not hurt!"

"I'm fine, Mom," the Toad called. "It's okay! Luigi here saved me! The real question is, are _you_ guys all okay?"

"We're fine, Chris," Pete replied. "You haven't seen Kate by any chance, have you?"

"No." Her tone was puzzled. "Why would I?"

"Oh, right," Pete murmured under his breath. "She was working her shift at the water park when the Koopalings ambushed her…She probably doesn't know."

Mario dusted his hands off and helped the Toads to their feet. "Know what?"

"She probably doesn't know where they have Kate, since she was nowhere near this part of the park at the time. We'll have to find Kate ourselves."

"Don't worry, bro!" Luigi's voice assured him. "We're coming- Whoa, these stairs are a mess!"

"Sorry about-" Mario froze.

The stairs. The dead end. The Koopalings!

"Luigi, are you _sure_ you're up there alone?"

"Why wouldn't we- _HEY_!"

"Going down!"

CRASH! BANG! THUD!

Luigi and Chris bounced to the cellar floor. "Owie…" they grumbled.

"Hey, here's your brother, Mario!" Morton's voice called. "Nice little reunion, right? We won't ruin it for you…Why don't you stay down there a while?!"

Then something slid over the entrance to the cellar, and they were plunged into darkness.


	11. Chapter 10

The Koopaling Carnival

Chapter Ten: Going Up

"Dang, it's dark in here…"

"I can't see my hand in front of my own face!"

"What do we do now?"

"Ow! That was my foot!"

"Sorry."

"How do we get out of this one?"

"I'll try and look for a way past that block. Maybe I could move it or something…"

"Be careful, Art."

There was a series of slow creaks as Art crawled upwards. "No use. This thing is heavy- _Ow_, and spiked!" He toppled back down the stairs. "Okay, anyone got a plan B?"

"There was-a an elevator," Mario recalled. "But when-a I pressed the button, nothing-a happened. I think-a it was locked."

There was a long silence. Then it was broken by a laugh.

"What's-a so funny?" Mario wondered.

"Those kids did a pretty good job of trapping us in this crazy carnival of theirs," Dot said slyly. "But they made a little mistake."

"Really?" Luigi said skeptically. "To me, it looks like they've got it all figured out."

"Oh, but they don't, right, Art?"

"Right, Missus Dot." There was a rustling noise. "As chief of staff for the park, I naturally have access to all areas of the Boardwalk. The Koopalings took my keys…but they _didn't_ take my emergency key card!"

"Emergency what-now?"

"My key card," Art repeated. "It's like a master key. It works on everything and anything in the park, so I don't have to worry about getting stuck anywhere. I keep it on this handy little chain here…They probably didn't think to look…" More rustling. "Got it! This will get that elevator up-and-running before you can say _eureka_!"

"That's great!" Luigi cheered.

"Yeah." Art paused. "Now I just gotta find the key card slot, which won't be too easy since it's dark and all…Uh, this might take a while."

Chris sat down against the wall with a sigh. "How many _times _will we have to say _eureka_?"

* * *

While they waited, Mario and Luigi told the whole story about the park and Peach's kidnapping.

"Even if we do get the elevator working," Luigi realized, "that shield will keep us from getting out unless the Koopalings want us to."

"Hmm," Pete considered. "It sounds like the Koopalings had you in the fun house. I'll bet anything that's where the force field is based. If we can disable it, you're free to go and save Princess Toadstool."

"Really?" Mario beamed. "You'll bring down that-a field for us?"

"Uh…That could be a problem. I'm not exactly a techno whiz."

"Then how do we get-a out of here?"

"Techno whiz…" Art whispered, still searching. "Hey, if we can find Kate, she can probably fix it! She's not the best mechanic in the park for nothing, you know!"

"Great!" Mario jumped to his feet. "Watch out, Koopalings! Here come-a the Super Mario Brothers!"

"As soon as I find this danged slot," Art reminded him.

With a sigh, Mario sank back down.

* * *

A few minutes later, Art's voice rang out, "Got it!"

_Ding_.

There was a faint hum as the elevator doors slid open, spilling glorious light into the cellar. They all piled inside.

"Going up!" Dot chirped, pressing the button.

* * *

Back in the Koopalings' little control room, things had just started looking up. They'd freed their siblings from the cage in the water park, and they had the Mario Brothers trapped!

Until…

"Uh-oh…" Larry moaned.

"I don't like ze sound of zat," Ludwig muttered, pushing him aside for a better view of the screen. "Vhat is it?"

"I don't know how, but somehow, they got out of the haunted house!"

"_WHAT_?!" the others shrieked.

"I don't believe this," Wendy said faintly. "They just don't give up…"

"They've got the managers with them! _And_ the chief of staff, _and_ one of the managers' daughters!" Morton added, despairing. "That's it! We're done! That's all, folks-"

"_Shaddup_, Bigmouth," Roy growled, smacking him on the head. "You goin' on a five-houa' rant about how our whole plan's screwed up won't fix nothin'!"

Ludwig closed his eyes. "If zey have got ze managers, zhen zeir next move vill most likely be to try and shut down ze force field," he deduced.

He grinned suddenly. "But zat means zey'll need ze ozzer girl…"

"And _that_ means we're not done yet!" Lemmy cheered. "Hey, guys…Kate must be _pretty_ lonely down there, all by herself…Wanna go pay her a visit?"

"_Sure_!" they all laughed.

"Oh, ze'll get ze ozzer girl, all right," Ludwig chuckled. "But at a price!"


	12. Chapter 11

The Koopaling Carnival

Chapter Eleven: Hostage

The Mecha-Koopa-dolls are from the Super Mario Bros. comic, in case you're curious...Send me a message if you'd like the link!

* * *

"Hnn…Nggh…"

"Hiya, Kate. How ya been?"

"N-n…No…Go away…"

"Oh, that's harsh, girl…After we've taken…such good care of you? Is that _any_ way to treat your pals?"

"L-let me go…Kuh…H-h…"

"Oh, don't vorry…You'll be out of here very, very soon. Perhaps, hehe…"

"H-h…"

"We'll be right back, Kate. We just have a quick message to send, and then this whole ordeal will be over for you…one way or another! So long! Haha!"

"…H…Help me…"

* * *

Art, perched on Luigi's shoulders, gave a triumphant cry and pointed northwest. "There! That's the way to the fun house!" 

"Finally, we can get out of this-a crazy carnival…" Mario said thankfully. "And you're-a sure Kate can help us?"

"Oh, definitely!" the Toad replied fondly. "She's the smartest gal I've ever known…"

Dot gave a little squeak. "P-Pete!"

"What is it, Dot?" he replied, alarmed.

"T-there's something over there!" She pointed with a shaking finger. "Behind that booth!"

Mario and Luigi grabbed their hammers. "Stay back, you guys," Luigi warned.

Two figures leapt at them.

* * *

"What are _those_?" 

The brothers stopped, confused. The figures weren't the Koopalings. In fact, they didn't seem to pose any threat at all. They were little wind-up dolls in the likeness of Koopas.

Luigi's eyes widened.

"I…think I remember these things, bro," he said slowly. "Remember that one time when the Koopalings had you locked in that tower, and they wanted Princess Peach in exchange?"

"And you dressed up like her to fool them?" Mario remarked with a smirk.

Luigi reddened. "Not _that_! But two dolls just like this came over to deliver the request. I don't think this is good."

Art gasped. "L-look what they have with them!"

In the mouth of one of the wind-up toys was a bundle of dirty blue cloth.

"I'd recognize that anywhere," Pete murmured, his face draining of color. "It's…It's Kate's jacket…"

* * *

The toys dropped the jacket at Mario's feet and stared at him with eerily blank eyes. Then they opened their mouths.

The brothers raised their hammers again.

"_Greetings, Mario Brothers_," one squawked in a rattling, mechanical voice. "_We bring a message from the Koopalings concerning a friend of yours._"

"_A friend by the name of Kate T. Bay_," the other added.

"My baby…" Dot whispered.

"Sis!" Chris cried.

"_Kate is currently in our clutches,_" the toys continued in a creepy monotone, now addressing the entire group. "_If any of you want to escape this carnival alive, the Mario Brothers must give themselves up_ _to the Koopalings_. _You have half an hour to choose, or else…_"

"Or else…what?" Pete demanded shakily.

They all hopped back with wails of alarm as the toys opened their mouths and set fire to Kate's jacket. In seconds, it had crumbled to ash.

"_Or else Kate will take their place._"

The dolls burst into bone-chilling laughter. Then, their eyes went dark, and they slumped forward.

Dot fell to her knees and burst into tears.


	13. Chapter 12

The Koopaling Carnival

Chapter Twelve: Operation Rescue

"M-m…"

Dot tried to speak, but just burst into tears again. Pete put his arms around her, trying to calm her down.

Chris turned a deathly-pale face to them. "Mario…Luigi…What do we do?"

Mario and Luigi exchanged serious looks.

"What else?" Luigi said.

Chris gasped. Pete lifted his head. Dot actually stopped crying.

"Y-you mean…"

"Yep. It's-a the only thing-a we can do," Mario added.

Chris shook her head. "But you can't…You can't! You can't give yourselves up!"

Luigi smirked. "Who said we'd do that?"

"But…you said…" Pete trailed off, confused.

"What-a else would we do…" Mario said, smiling encouragingly, "than-a go and rescue Kate?"

* * *

"The biggest problem is Kate. We don't want to risk her getting hurt while we fight the Koopalings, and they're bound to use her as their safeguard." Pete closed his eyes and thought. "We need to get Kate out of there before the Koopalings know we're there, and without alerting them."

"So, we'll split up into two teams," Luigi proposed.

Mario snapped his fingers. "Exactly! We'll-a distract the Koopalings, and you guys go-a save Kate. But-a how are you gonna do-a that?"

"There's a back entrance to the fun house," Dot explained. "Maintenance purposes. You guys draw the Koopalings to the front, and we'll get Kate out through the back."

"Yeah!" They all exchanged high-fives.

"So, Operation Rescue's a go!" Chris cheered.

"Right. Now-a, Chris, Dot, Pete, and-" Mario stopped.

"Where's-a Art?"

* * *

"Oh, no!" Dot cried. "Art's gone!"

They looked all around, but there was no trace of him.

"I don't get it," Pete muttered. "What happened? We definitely would've noticed the Koopalings come over…But that means…No…Why would he leave on his own like that?"

There was a pause.

"Art loves Kate," Chris said at last. "He'd want to save her."

"But why run off?" Luigi wondered.

"He loves the park, too. He's, like, part of our family. He wouldn't want any of us to get hurt." She frowned in the direction of the fun house. "And he knows about the back entrance."

"So Art went to rescue Kate by _himself_?" Dot gasped, horrified. "We have to follow him, or he might get hurt, too!"

* * *

Art had decided to save Kate the moment he'd known she was in danger.

Not by giving up the Mario Brothers; goodness, no. He knew Kate. She wouldn't want to be saved that way. Besides, he just couldn't do something like that.

When they'd started talking about the back entrance, he'd started sneaking off. By time Chris had started cheering for the mission's success, he was already gone.

He had to save Kate.

He had to…because…

He loved her.

Slipping in through the darkness, he made a silent promise.

_Wait for me, Kate. I'll save you_.


	14. Chapter 13

The Koopaling Carnival

Chapter Thirteen: Operation Rescue…Failed?

Mario and Luigi felt their muscles tense as they entered the fun house. It wasn't pleasant, being reminded of the danger they'd faced.

Worse, danger was still present here…for them, and for Kate.

The Mecha-Koopas were waiting on either side of a large door.

"_We've been expecting you_," they squawked.

The door slid open.

* * *

It was a large, round room. The walls were lined with illusion mirrors- they could see themselves reflected in a hundred distorted ways. 

There was a circular column of mirrors in the center.

"Finally!"

The doors slammed shut behind them, and the Koopalings dropped down from the ceiling.

"We were starting to think you wouldn't come," Lemmy taunted. "Okay, here's your friend…"

He gestured with his claw. The column lowered, revealing a large pit that had been cut in the floor. The plumbers both shuddered. The pit was filled with dozens of spinning blades and churning spikes.

And hanging above that pit was Kate.

She looked at them with bleary, half-closed eyes before her head dropped back onto her chest.

Luigi nodded and started forward. But Mario hesitated.

Lemmy, Iggy, Larry, Bowser Jr., Wendy…

Three Koopalings were missing.

Mario put a hand on Luigi's shoulder and pulled him back. "Wait a-"

"_MARIO! LUGI_!"

* * *

At the sound of the scream, the Koopalings burst into laughter. The brothers gasped. 

Standing on a landing in the back of the room were Ludwig, Morton, and Roy.

And they had the Bays.

Ludwig had Pete in a headlock, his arm tightly around the manager's throat. Morton had Dot by her shoulders. Roy had Chris slung over one shoulder. They were laughing as though the captured Toads and the alarmed plumbers were the funniest things in the world.

"Did you really think you could trick us like that?" Morton teased. "Boy, you guys are a group of genuine idiots!"

"Let them go!" Mario demanded.

"Vhy should ve?" Ludwig said off-handedly, waving his free hand. He examined his claws, then swiped dangerously close to Pete's head. The manager recoiled, pulling desperately at the Koopaling's crushing grip. He didn't seem affected; in fact, it looked as if he was squeezing him tighter. Pete's face paled and his eyes spun from lack of air.

"You said you would give yourselves up for Kate," Bowser Jr. said. "But you tried to trick us…Maybe you shouldn't get her back at all."

At this, Wendy pressed a button. The rope suspending Kate from the ceiling dropped, and she came an inch closer to the spinning blades.

Dot shrieked.

The Koopalings exchanged looks.

"Fine," Roy muttered at last. "Ya can have yer stupid pals back."

Chris, Pete, and Dot landed in a pile at Mario and Luigi's feet.

"But now they're a part of our little game!" Morton added gleefully. There was a lever on the landing, and he pulled it.

The floor began to spin. Mario looked around and immediately felt sick, watching the warped reflections shoot by.

The Koopalings all faced the Mario Brothers, grinning mockingly. Mario and Luigi grabbed their hammers. Pete assumed the stance of a boxer, his fists in the air. Dot took a deep breath. Chris scuffed her feet on the floor.

Both groups lunged at one another.

* * *

Even with the increased numbers, Mario and Luigi were still in trouble. The Bays couldn't do much against the shelled Koopalings; their punches and kicks were only faintly fazing them. 

Roy slammed his hands into Mario's stomach, forcing him backwards. He skidded beside Luigi and looked up.

Every second, Kate was dropping a little closer to the mass of spinning blades.

"Luigi, we have-a to do something," he murmured.

"Right!" Luigi agreed.

They both charged forward, but Bowser Jr., Ludwig, and Wendy all tackled them at once.

Mario managed to wriggle out of the fray. "Luigi!" he called.

"I got it, bro!" Luigi swerved out of the way of a punch from Jr., and jumped over a kick from Wendy. "Go!"

Mario would've gone, but then it happened.

Ludwig charged at Luigi. His brother grabbed the Koopaling around the middle, trying to hold him back, but he wasn't used to the increased weight. He lost his balance and fell backwards, dropping Ludwig and crashing to the floor.

And Ludwig crashed right next to him…his spiked shell crushing Luigi's torn arm.

Luigi screamed.


	15. Chapter 14

The Koopaling Carnival

Chapter Fourteen: Operation Rescue...Success!

"_LUIGI_!"

Mario watched in horror as Luigi thrashed on the ground, holding his arm.

As he hesitated, Bowser Jr. saw his chance and took it.

He tackled Mario full-force, and Mario toppled over, landing flat on his back. His hat slid off of his head and landed in the pit. There was a growling, buzzing noise, and then bits of red cap were spewed across the room.

Jr. propped a foot on his chest and snarled in his face, but Mario barely noticed.

"_Luigi_!" Chris cried, running over to the green-clad plumber. "Luigi, are you okay?!"

She tried to calm him down, but he didn't listen; he went on flailing and screaming as though she weren't there.

"Luigi," Mario panted.

Jr. snickered, forcing his clawed foot down a little harder on Mario's chest, making him cough. The youngest Koopaling caught a shard of the destroyed cap in his claw.

"Hmm…" he growled, looking around at his siblings. "I wonder what'd happen if we put a plumber in there?"

There were cheers and laughs.

Mario gasped as Jr. started to push him closer to the spinning blades. Closer and closer…He could hear them whirring. His heart was racing, ready to burst.

"Oh, no- _Mario_!" Chris started for him, but Ludwig clamped his arms firmly around her waist. "_Hey_! _Let go_!"

"Keep makin' such a racket and yer next," Roy threatened. "Afta' Mista's Red and Greenie here, dat is…"

Pete looked up from where Iggy and Lemmy had pinned him to the floor. "No!"

Dot was looking up, too, but she said nothing. Larry frowned at her. "What's her deal?"

"What are you-" Jr. began, but then he stopped and gasped.

Mario followed their gaze.

Kate was gone.

* * *

"Over here, Koopalings!" 

It was Art.

* * *

"Operation Rescue is a success!" he called, smiling. 

He was standing on the landing, one arm around Kate. With the other hand, he jerked the lever. The walls stopped spinning, and the column rose again; Mario was separated from the spinning blades by a thick wall, and he sighed in relief.

"What the- _We've been tricked_!" Morton roared.

Kate smiled weakly at Art. "Thank you…" she wheezed.

He blushed. "Aw, shucks…"

Jr.'s jaw dropped. Mario took the opportunity to fasten his hands around the Koopaling's ankle, prying it off his chest and hositing the youngest prince into the air.

"Hey, what are you doing?! _Lemme go_!"

Mario nodded and flung him right at Ludwig, who dropped Chris and drew inside his shell.

That was what Mario had been hoping for.

To avoid colliding with his brother's shell, Jr. drew into his shell, too. The shells made contact and bounced against each other, rocketing all over the place, sweeping the other Koopalings off their feet…

"WHOA!"

"WATCH IT!"

"AUGGGH!"

"_LOOK OUT_!"

All eight Koopalings, a mass of shells and flailing bodies, came barreling right back at Mario. He lifted his hammer and smashed it right in the middle of the group.

The Koopalings went flying, crashing into the walls and sliding down to the floor, moaning. None of them got up.

"Luigi!" Mario propped Luigi up a bit. "Luigi…"

Luigi had stopped screaming. He lay completely still and silent. For a moment, Mario assumed the worse…

Until Luigi beamed at him and gave him the thumbs-up sign.

Mario smiled. "That's-a my bro…"


	16. Chapter 15

The Koopaling Carnival

Chapter Fifteen: Escape

"Okay, that's the circuit board…The force field generator requires a lot of power, so they probably have it plugged into one of the bigger energy sources. Hmm…"

The group had moved to the park control room. It was lined with screens and machinery of all kind. Art, supporting the still-dazed Kate, stood over one of the control panels, examining the buttons while Kate wheezed directions in his ear.

Pete, Dot, and Chris watched with faint smiles, relieved to have Kate back with them. Mario and Luigi were completely astonished, though- both by the sheer amount of technology in the room, and Kate's amazing electronically prowess. The Bays had been right; she _was_ a genius.

"Linking the field up to the main generator is practically impossible. There's no way the park and the field could run off the same energy source. It would totally overload the generator, and then everything would short out. And they couldn't risk linking it up to the backup generator, either- it's got our auxiliary power, sure, but not as much power as the main source."

"Then where are they getting all this power from?" Art wondered. He looked baffled, but seemed to take it in stride.

Kate paused, and then looked at Mario and Luigi. "Hey, you guys told me about what happened while I was…out of it. Was the Ferris wheel spinning when you entered the park?"

Mario paused. "Hmmm…No…"

"Then that's it." Kate nodded. "They shut off the Ferris wheel after using it to nab the Princess, and then routed the Ferris wheel's energy reserves to the force field generator before you guys showed up. Art, open that hatch…Okay, good. See the blue wire plugged into that green slot?"

"Yeah- Oh, I see…"

"Yeah. Okay, first, press that button to shut off the energy flow. We don't want you getting zapped or anything…Heh. That's it. Wait, set me down- it'll be easier for you."

Biting his lip, he reluctantly set her down. She leaned against the control panel and guided him through the process.

"Now that the power's off, just unplug that wire…Plug it back into the yellow slot…Remove that green slot- Now press the button again."

Art did, holding the green slot up to the dim light and studying it. He smirked. "You want to do the honors?"

"Nah- you deserve it." Kate chuckled.

Art dropped the small device to the ground, then lifted his foot and crushed it, rubbing his heel into the smashed circuitry with relish.

Kate lifted her head and smiled up at Mario and Luigi. "Well, that's that. You guys are home free now."

"Thanks," Luigi said gratefully. "Without you guys, Peach would be done for. We can't thank you enough."

"I can't thank _you_ guys enough," she countered, shaking her head in disbelief. "If you hadn't come along…" She shuddered slightly.

The plumber brothers gulped, the memory of the spinning blades still fresh in their minds.

"We should get going," Kate said, straightening up a bit.

"Yeah, we-" Mario backed up a step and accidentally bumped against a desk.

The desk wobbled slightly, and the object sitting atop it rolled off the edge, clattering to the floor.

"What the- What's this?" Dot bent over and picked it up. It was a clear glass sphere, about the size of her face, shining with a faint, ethereal light. "A…crystal ball?"

The light in the crystal ball shifted.

Mario and Luigi exchanged worried looks, their faces falling.

"Uh-oh."

* * *

"GAH!"

Kamek nearly jumped out of his skin. "What are you shouting for, Kammy?"

Kammy glared furiously into the crystal ball. "YOU! Get out of my crystal ball RIGHT NOW!"

On the other end, Dot yelped and tossed the crystal ball away, her eyes wide. The crystal ball dimmed and blurred as it hit the ground a second time.

"_My_ crystal ball!" Kamek snapped, then stopped. "Who?"

"The Toads!"

"Wha-" Kamek snatched the crystal ball out of her hands. "Where are the Koopalings? I can't see a darn thing now!"

There was a long silence.

A bead of sweat trickled down Kamek's brow. "Ludwig?"

No response.

"…Lemmy? Iggy? Larry?"

Still nothing.

"Roy? Wendy? Morton? Jr.? Is anybody there?"

Nada.

The two leaders of the Magikoopa clan locked eyes, their faces grim and nervous.

"I can't get in contact with the Koopalings," Kamek said at last.

"I can see that, stupid," she snapped, although her voice faltered slightly. "What do you think happened to them?"

They both stared at the crystal ball.

"Gather the Magikoopas."

* * *

"Oh, no!" Mario groaned. "Oh no oh no oh no oh no-"

"What's wrong?" Dot wondered, glancing nervously towards the dim glass sphere.

"They're gonna be here any minute now!" Luigi explained. "We gotta bolt, quick!"

The others didn't ask any further. Art scooped Kate off the ground and nodded. With that, they dashed out of the park, into the cool night air.


	17. Chapter 16

The Koopaling Carnival

Chapter Sixteen: The Princess is Saved!

"I'm a little spooked here, bro. This has got to be the longest time we've ever been in Bowser's castle without being attacked."

Mario nodded and looked up, but he couldn't even see the dull yellow eyes of an alert Thwomp waiting in the rafters. No Koopa Troopas patrolled the halls, no Goombas were toddling down the corridors, no Boos were flying through the walls…

Bowser's castle was practically deserted, but not in the same eerie way the park had been; rather like it was everyone's day off.

"It-a just doesn't make sense. Where-a is everybody? Not that I'm-a complaining."

"It's almost like-" Luigi began, but then stopped. "No way…"

"What?"

"Do you think Bowser actually had anything to do with this?"

"Huh?"

"Think about it." Luigi counted off on his fingers. "Peach was kidnapped, the Koopalings were running rampant, and you and I were in danger. It had all the elements of your basic country-in-peril escapade."

"Yeah." Mario raised an eyebrow.

"But Bowser _never showed up_. Usually he comes in to attack you, and you guys fight for Peach and stuff, but instead she was carried off and we ended up fighting the Koopalings. Do you think…"

"Do I think-a what, Luigi?"

"Do you think that…maybe the Koopalings were behind this whole thing?"

The brothers gaped at each other in horror before shuddering violently.

The Koopalings were definitely more dangerous than they'd seemed.

* * *

"Mario! Luigi!"

Peach gripped the cage bars and smiled at them. "You came!"

"Peach!" Mario started forward. "What the- Where's-a Bowser?"

The throne room was completely empty. Luigi looked over his shoulder, expecting the giant doors to swing shut and trap them inside, but nothing happened.

"I haven't seen him the entire time I've been here," Peach said, looking confused. "In fact, given the beating you gave him last time, I'd be surprised if he was even well enough to lift a single claw."

"They _were_ behind this," Mario murmured.

"Hmm?"

"Oh- eh, nothing, Princess. Let's-a get you out of here. Where's-a the key?"

Peach pointed to a ring hanging beside the throne.

"Oh." Mario took the ring and began trying keys. Once, he fumbled and dropped the keys- and because they all looked practically the same, he had to start again. "Darn!"

The last key, of course, was the one that opened the cage. Peach jumped out. "Oh, thank you, Mario!"

She planted a single kiss on his cheek. Mario struggled to keep standing upright, and his face burned hotter than his Firebrand.

"Thank you, too, Luigi," she said, smiling at his brother.

Luigi turned faintly pink. "Uh- the thing is, I couldn't, er, cause-"

"I didn't mean that!" Peach smirked. "But I'm sure Daisy won't be able to resist giving you a big hero kiss once she hears about this…"

Luigi's eyes lit up. "Oh, boy-"

He jumped into the air, but then dropped right back, looking shaken. "O-Oh boy…M-Mario? I think we gotta now. _Now_!"

Luigi pointed out the window. Mario followed his gaze and gasped.

A cluster of dark figures was swooping down from the sky. In the faint light of the torches surrounding Bowser's castle, he could make out a small group of Magikoopas- Kamek and Kammy at the front- carrying the unconscious Koopalings back towards the castle.

"Yikes!"

The cluster swerved suddenly, disappearing behind a turret and out of sight.

"Uh, where did they go?" Luigi asked, blinking.

"Probably to raise-a the alarm," Mario said, taking Peach's hand. "If the Koopalings are down, then-a they must know we're here! Peach, we've gotta go!"

"But the guards will block off the front doors the minute they know-" Peach paused, then snapped her fingers. "Oh, wait! Not even Bowser's stupid enough to have only one way out of his castle! There's another exit somewhere, I'm sure of it."

"Then let's make a break for it!" Luigi cried, and they dashed out of a door in the back of the room, running as fast as they could.

* * *

"This way!" Luigi turned a corner. "I see another door!"

Mario and Peach nodded. Luigi opened the door- and froze solid.

The room was full of Koopa Troopas.

It was apparently some sort of mess hall- Bowser's shelled soldiers sat at tables set in rows, eating and talking amongst themselves. However, when Luigi opened the door, the Troopas nearest the entrance heard the sound and turned towards him.

Soon, every pair of eyes in the room were on them.

Luigi gulped.

"Mama Mia," Mario breathed.

There was the unmistakable metallic ring of weaponry being drawn.

"Er- wrong door, sorry!" Luigi pulled the door shut, seconds before a spear impaled the wood, and then slammed the bar over it. But then an angry din rose from the other side of the door, and they could hear a loud _thud_ as the soldiers threw their weight against it.

"Those doors aren't going to hold long," Peach fretted, paling.

"We- wait, there!" Mario pointed at the end of a long corridor. A large door was at the end, and through the windows on either side, they could see the dark hills beyond the palace. "That way!"

They raced down the hall just as the door burst open. Dodging lodged spears and shots from crossbows, they threw the doors open and rushed outside, leaving Bowser's palace behind them.

* * *

"Where did they go?" Kammy demanded.

"We lost them, Lady Kammy," the soldier replied, blanching slightly. "They barred the doors, and by time we got out, they had just found an exit. We lost trace of them over the hills."

"_Oh_!" Kammy gave a groan of frustration before turning to Kamek. "Well, genius, how are we going explain this to His Highness?"

"Are you implying that this is my fault?" he snapped, indignant.

"Amazing! You actually got something right for once!"

"Why you-" Kamek raised his wand, but stopped as a faint groan emitted from the infirmary.

Kammy stopped, too. "…The Koopalings. They're waking up?"

"I guess we'll be getting the answer to your question soon," Kamek sighed, heading for the source of the groaning.

But seconds before he closed the door, he glared poison in her direction and added hissingly, "You rotten old hag."

Kammy aimed a fireball at him, but it merely impacted upon the door.


	18. Epliogue

The Koopaling Carnival

Epilogue: A Happy Ending

"Looks like-a we finally got our day at the carnival, huh, Peach?"

Peach giggled. "Yep."

The two of them were occupying one of the seats on the Ferris wheel. They had an unbelievably beautiful view of the park, which had been fixed up after the Koopalings were cleared out, and the deep blue sea. The sun was shining down, the sky was dotted with feathery clouds…It was a perfect day.

And to make it more perfect, as their seat reached the top of the Ferris wheel, Mario felt Peach's fingers brushed his hand.

He smiled.

* * *

"WHOOO!"

Daisy shrieked with laughter as the roller coaster plunged down the hill. Her chestnut-auburn hair whipped around wildly in the breeze, tickling Luigi's chin.

Luigi laughed, too- and blushed bright red when, during a loop-de-loop, Daisy gave a squeal and put her arms around him.

He quite liked the carnival.

* * *

Pete was chatting with his old friend, Toadsworth, at the food court. Dot was handing out balloons to children as they ran, giggling, down the boardwalk. Chris was lounging in the sun at the water park, watching the swimmers carefully, but smiling all the same. Art and Chris were sitting atop the roof of the fun house, holding hands and leaning against each other. The guests smiled and laughed and cheered as they went on rides and swam in the ocean in the warmth of the summer day.

It looked like a happy ending for all.

But what about the Koopalings, you may ask?

Well…

* * *

Bowser raised an eyebrow as his kids shuffled into his room. They were all looking at the floor and fiddling nervously with their claws.

He had been feeling better as of late, so he propped himself up in bed and leaned over to Kamek, who had brought his children inside with Kammy. "What's goin' on?"

"We, er, have something to tell you, Your Highness," Kamek said, averting his eyes.

"Somethin' to tell me?" the King repeated, confused. He looked at the Koopalings. "What happened?"

"While you were, well, incapacitated-" Kamek began, but he was cut off when Larry burst into tears.

Bowser nearly fell out of bed. "Whoa! What's the matter?"

"The thing is, King Dad, we kinda, um, went and tried to beat Mario and Luigi for you while you were out and stuff," Morton babbled. He was speaking twice as fast as usual out of anxiety, which made it almost impossible to comprehend what he was saying. "You know, like, revenge and all that stuff. So we found this carnival and kidnapped Peach and-"

Bowser's eyes were spinning in the effort to keep up with his chatterbox son.

Roy clamped a hand over Morton's mouth, a vein pulsing in his temple. "Shut. It."

Morton made a face.

"Long story short, King Dad," Wendy chimed in, shrugging a little, "is that we kidnapped Peach and took on the Mario Brothers."

Bowser's jaw dropped. "You…_Really_?"

Ludwig nodded. "Yes, ve did."

"It was going to be sort of a present for you," Lemmy said, biting his lip. "But…"

"It didn't go quite as planned," Iggy finished.

"But we goofed up," Jr. murmured, gulping slightly. "We're really sorry, King Dad."

Bowser paused. "…Did you know about this?" he asked, turning to Kamek and Kammy.

"It's not their fault, Lord Bowser," Kammy said, fidgeting. "We were in on the whole thing."

"Kammy's right. We knew what the Koopalings were up to the entire time," Kamek confessed. "But with you being in the state you were in- and they wanted it to be a sort of surprise- we didn't tell you."

Silence.

They all took a step back as Bowser climbed out of bed and stood before his children, gazing at them with gleaming eyes.

"King Dad-" Wendy began, but then they all found themselves being practically crushed in Bowser's arms.

Proud tears streaming down his face, Bowser pulled his kids into a hug. "M-My kids!" he sniffled. "I'm so proud of you!"

The Koopalings exchanged looks of pure surprise before bursting all smiling broadly. They hugged him back, and the room echoed with the sound of their laughter.

Yes, it was truly a happy ending for all.

* * *

The End


End file.
